Attachment for violins and analogous string instruments



W. l. BROWN. ATTACHMENT FOR VIOLINS AND ANALOGOUS INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.27. 1922.

\ 1,422,827. Patented July 18, 1922.

iiw zum w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1. BROWN, OF SYRLCUSE, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,092.

1 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. BROWN, of

. Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Attachment for Violins and Analogous String Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an attachment for violins and analogous string instruments in which the fretting of the strings is usually done by theleft hand of the operator, while the right hand is used in operatlIlg the bow. The neck of the violin "near its junctionwith the head is usually slender to enable it to be properly supported from the under side by the web of the hand between the thumb'and forefinger with the thumb at the inside and the four fingers at the opposite side and overlying the adjacent portion of the strings.

In the manipulation of the strings particularly by beginners, there is a strong tendency to shift the hand too far along the neck toward the head to assure proper fingering of the frets, and the main object of my present invention is to provide a simple and efficient device, which may be easily and quickly attached to the head of any violin for avoiding this tendency by providing said device with a laterally projecting arm constituting a stop against which the back of the thumb may be rested when the device is adjusted for use.

Another object is to provide the device with relatively movable clamping members which may be adjusted'to interlock with the I tuning pins of different violins and clamped in their adjusted position for assisting and supporting the base plate carrying the thumb rest.

A further object is to provide the base plate with longitudinally spaced bearings adapted to engage the lower and upper faces of the neck of the violin at different points in its length to further assist in holding the device in fixed relation to the head.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description;

In the drawings: 7 v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head end of the frame of a violin with my thumb rest attachment in operative position thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the attachment detached from the head.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 1, showing more particularly the manner of tightening the clamping members and of supporting the base -plate upon the head of the frame.

Figure l is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 1, showing more particularly the thumb rest.

In orderthat my invention may be clearly understood, I have shown a portion of a frame A including part of the neck -B and head C- in which' latter are mounted the usual tuningpins D-.

The device forming the subject matter of my present invention comprises a base-plate 1 a pair of clamping plates 2- and 3 and a clamping nut -4, the plates l, 2- and 3 being preferably made of relatively thin sheet metal lfor lightness and strength and are assembled in compact relation so as to lie fiatwise one upon the other in a manner hereinafter described.

The base plate -1- is elongated to extend lengthwise of the head C in close proximity to one side (preferably the lefthand side) thereof and is provided with longitudinally spaced bearings -5 and 6- for engaging the lower and upper faces of the head or peg box at different points in its length, the bearing -5 consisting of a curved arm formed integral with the front end of the base plate and engaging the lower transversely convexed side of the neck 2 some distance in front of the head C, while the bearing 6- consists of an inverted angular arm resting upon the upper edge of the adjacent rib of the head -O and also engaging the inner face of said rib to assist in holding the at tachment against lateral displacement, the curved arm 5 also serving to hold the front end of the attachment against lateral displacement.

The clamping members 2 and -3 are caused to overlap flatwise at one end one upon the other and their overlapping portions are provided with lengthwise slots .7 registering with each other for receiving a threaded stud 8 which is rigidly secured by riveting or otherwise to the adjacent portionv of the base-plate l to extend outwardly therefrom for engagement by the nut -4.

These clamping members 2- and 3 are therefore, adjustable lengthwise relatively to each other and to the base-plate l, and are provided with hoot-shaped extremities -9 for interlocking engagement with two of the tuning pins -D-. the hook-shaped ends 9 extending toward each other around the outer face of the adjacent tuning pins so that when the members -2- ant 3 are drawn up tightly against the pins and clamped in place by the nut %l the entire attachluent will be held against vertical or longitudinal displacement.

The forward end of the base-plate 1. is provided with a laterally projecting arm ---lt) constituting a stop against which the hack of the thumb of the player may rest when fingering the strings, the object of said stop being to properly position the hand for the most COl'lVGHlGDlZ and eflieient fretting of the strings and is held in fixed position relatively to the string hoard and some distance in "front of the head C- when the attachment is clamped in place.

That is, when the hook-shaped clamping members are properly placed upon the tuning pins and tightened by the nut. the baseplate will be held in a fixed position relatively to the string board of the violin, while the lateral. extensions on the baseplate engaging the lower and upper faces of the string board assist in holding the base-plate and parts mounted. thereon against relative vertical and lateral movement to further assure the fixed positioning of the thumb rest l()-. After the beginner has become accustomed to proper positioning of the hand, the attachment may be easily removed by simply loosening the nut and releasing the clamping members "from engagen ient with the tuning pins.

What I claim is:

1. An attachment for violins and ana|ogens stringed instruments comprising a baseplate having a thumb rest. and means 'l'or clam 'iing the base-plate to the head of the instrument, and including relatively adjust able hook-shaped members for interlocking engagement with the tuning pins of said instrument.

in attachment for violins and analogous stringedv instruments comprising a pair of? relatively movable clamping members overlapping one upon the other and pro-- vi'ded with hook-shaped members for clamping engagement of the. tuning pins of the instrument, a base-plate having one end overlapping upon one of the clamping members and its other end provided with :1 laterally projecting thumb rest, and means for clam pingthe overlapping parts of the baseplates and clamping members together.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of January, 1922.

lVILLIAM I. BROlV N lVitnesses H. I E. CHASE, M. C. RILL. 

